The consumption of alcohol plays a key role in Tarahumara society. It is
hardly an exaggeration to say that almost every social activity that the
Tarahumara engage in includes tesgüino. From organizing communal labor to
performing marriage ceremonies, the role of tesgüino in Tarahumara culture is
crucial. In fact, the use of alcoholic beverages is often cited as the defining
characteristic of Tarahumara culture. Kennedy (1963:635) states that, “it is
no exaggeration to estimate that the average Tarahumara spends at least 100 days
per year directly concerned with tesguino and much of this time under its
influence or aftereffects.” The creation of tesgüino is a simple
process that all households perform on a regular basis. The Tarahumara call tesgüino
batári, sugíki, or paciki depending on how the brew is
prepared. Sugíki is the general term for alcoholic beverages made from
fermented maize, while batári is maize beer made with a particular catalyst of
the same name; paciki refers to tesgüino made from fresh corn stalks
(Pennington 1963:149-150). The varieties of tesgüino made from maize are the
most important, but the Tarahumara also make similar drinks from agave hearts or
stalks, cactus fruits, berries, peaches, apples, crabapples, wheat, and Mesquite
seeds (Pennington 1963:149-157).

Different batches of tesgüino are said to have various qualities by the
Tarahumara. Tesgüino that is sweet is also considered to be rather weak, while
tesgüino that is bitter is considered strong. Tesgüino that is burned or sour
tasting is also considered to be weak. The strength or weakness of tesgüino is
extremely important to the Tarahumara because the purpose of drinking is to
reach a state of complete intoxication. It has been estimated by Merrill
(1978:103-104) that it takes approximately four liters of strong tesgüino per
person to become drunk, which is the ultimate goal. He further estimates that
each liter of tesgüino requires approximately 1/4 liter of maize kernels to
produce. Therefore, a tesgüinada with 100 participants would require
approximately 400 liters of tesgüino per person for everyone become
intoxicated, using a total of 70 kg of corn. Kennedy (1963:634) estimates that
the average family uses about 200 pounds of its annual corn crop making tesgüino.
Holding tesgüinadas can obviously become very expensive, and only very rich
individuals may be able to throw such large parties or have a tesgüinada more
than two or three times a year. In fact, holding numerous large tesgüinadas is
one of the main ways that the wealthy can increase their status among the
Tarahumara.

As already mentioned, tesgüino is of overwhelming importance to the
Tarahumara in large part because of the nature of their settlement system. Tesgüinadas
provide a way of bringing the people from scattered ranchos together for social
events. The most common justification (95%) for holding a tesgüinada is for
cooperative labor or a curing ceremony. If a man needs help with agricultural
work, building a house, or some other labor-intensive task, he will invite
certain nearby households to come and help in return for providing them with
tesgüino. As might be imagined, the work is often not entirely completed
because the guests get too drunk to continue. Payment for work in the form of
tesgüino is expected and assumed, but the Tarahumara do not phrase the exchange
in economic terms. Instead, they treat tesgüino as a gift, and even those who
do not help or show up late are still allowed to drink. This labor exchange
system has been referred to by Kennedy (1963:625) as the “tesgüino
network.” The series of social relationships that are formed in the tesgüino
network provide the only meaningful community for the individual above the
household in traditional Tarahumara society.

Tesgüino is also very closely tied with religious practices. In their origin
myth, the Tarahumara cured the Sun and the Moon and aided in the creation of the
world by dipping crosses in tesgüino and touching the Sun and the Moon with
them (Sheridan 1996:142). The Tarahumara hold curing ceremonies for people,
animals, and agricultural fields that involve sprinkling tesgüino on the thing
to be cured or dipping crosses in tesgüino and touching the thing to be cured.
Tesgüino is also connected with rituals that take place at important times in
an individual's lifetime including birth, puberty (for boys), marriage, and
death. A number of other social functions have also been identified for tesgüinadas.
One of the most important appears to be psychological release, since norms about
fighting and sexual behavior are relaxed during the tesgüinadas. Among the
gentiles, tesgüinadas are also the only place where trials are conducted and
punishments are decided upon because the alcohol relaxes the ordinary restraints
on confronting others that characterizes Tarahumara society. Marriage partners
are also often found at tesgüinadas. The tesgüinadas are also a great deal of
fun, and their entertainment value for the Tarahumara should not be
underestimated.